group or class to receive the degree of Bachelor of ~rts was that of 1918. The affair was memorable not only because it ~.as the ~rst time-illata class had finished, but also because of the pohtical excite�ment which unexpectedly entered into the exercises. That summer Charles A. Lindbergh was running for the office of governo~ of the state of Minnesota on the Non-Partisan ticket and the campaign w~s a bitter one because of Mr. Lindbergh's attitude toward the Cathohc Church. Two years earlier, on July 5, 1916, presentin~ ~ resol~ti?~ to Congress asking for an investigation of alleged pohtical actiVity of the Catholic Church in the affairs of the nation, he had declared that the Church of which the Pope is the head was opposed to and sought to destroy the free institutions of the United States and to bring the country under the comp~ete dominance o.f the Pope. Now in 1918 the Catholic bishops of Mmnesota had decided to take con�certed action in opposing such a candidate for the office of gover~or. What occurred at St. Benedict's first college commencement exerCises is best told by a local reporter. The St. Cloud Times carried the fol�
lowing story of the event. When Rt. Rev. Bishop Busch arrived at St. Benedict's ... Thursday evening to attend the Commencement exerc~ses he discove~ed among th~ many automobiles lining the front, one havmg a Non-Partisan streamer. Lindbergh tor Governor. It filled him with indignation that, on such an occasion, anyone should have the assurance and cheek to par~ an auto before the Academy [College] with such a placard. He tore it off and bore it into the institution. When the Bishop rose to give the C~mm~nce�ment address he looked perturbed and said: "The Socialists are m Mmne�apolis and I blush to say that right here i~ Stearns Coun~y there are 2000 members of that party." After an impressIve pause, the BIshop produced a great placard, inscribed, Lindbergh tor Governor, which many ~ecognized as one they had seen earlier in the evening, on an automobile parked before the Academy. With righteous indignation, the Bishop.proceeded .to lash, figuratively speaking, the man who had placarded hIs automobile
with Lindbergh tor Governor. ... He begged the good Sisters of the Academy and all women to throw their whole souls into the prayer: "Lindbergh shall not be Governor." 19
There was a moment of consternation, but quiet was soon resumed and the degrees were conferred with due solemnity.
The College of St. Benedict located as it is in the quiet of a Minne�~ sota village might have been out of touch with the general current of national and international affairs. However, the student body soon
WITH LAMPS BURNING
included young women of various races and from many countries. ~.. A glance at the guest book for one year will show that among the many guests were such personages as the Lord Abbot Wilfred Up-son, a.s.B., of Prinknash, England; Reverend Nicholas Maestrini, the founder of the Catholic Truth Society in Hongkong; and Masie Ward of England. Others were Arnold Lunn, the English debator and speaker; Reverend Xavier Thaninayagam of India, who was on a good relations tour for the government of India; as well as visitors from Belgium, Bavaria, and all parts of the United States.
When the disturbances of two world wars broke in upon the normal life of the college, students and faculty cooperated with the govern�ment's war efforts. During World War I sisters and students did all they possibly could in sewing and knitting for soldiers. In World War II the college was permitted to establish its own Red Cross unit -one of the first college units to be set up in Minnesota. The output of this surgical dressing unit doubled that of any other unit of the county. Faculty and students signed up as blood donors each time the mobile blood donor unit came to St. Cloud. On one occasion seventy sisters from the college and the convent responded. Several of the sisters were so generous that they were enrolled in the gallon club. Some sisters and students joined in first aid classes; others conducted the sale of war bonds and stamps.20
World War II brought to the college some of the same problems that it brought to other colleges. On two of these the administration and the faculty took a conservative stand, unswayed by war hysteria. Should St. Benedict's follow the lead of the colleges which were planning to shorten the four-year term by means of long summer sessions? Should the college stress subjects and courses of a more practical nature? To the first question Mother Rosamond and the faculty answered that a great number of students were dependent on summer employment to help defray the expenses of their college education. Part-time work the year round would enable students in large cities to dispense with summer salaries, but such opportunities were not available in the small village of St. Joseph. To the second question, should St. Benedict's follow the new trend or keep to the traditional Benedictine cultural program of the sciences, literature, and arts and prepare its students not only for earning a salary but for the richness and beauty of living, there could be but one answer.
From its very beginnings the college (like the academy) had not \
EDUCATIONAL MOVEMENTS 1900 TO 1957

group or class to receive the degree of Bachelor of ~rts was that of 1918. The affair was memorable not only because it ~.as the ~rst time-illata class had finished, but also because of the pohtical excite�ment which unexpectedly entered into the exercises. That summer Charles A. Lindbergh was running for the office of governo~ of the state of Minnesota on the Non-Partisan ticket and the campaign w~s a bitter one because of Mr. Lindbergh's attitude toward the Cathohc Church. Two years earlier, on July 5, 1916, presentin~ ~ resol~ti?~ to Congress asking for an investigation of alleged pohtical actiVity of the Catholic Church in the affairs of the nation, he had declared that the Church of which the Pope is the head was opposed to and sought to destroy the free institutions of the United States and to bring the country under the comp~ete dominance o.f the Pope. Now in 1918 the Catholic bishops of Mmnesota had decided to take con�certed action in opposing such a candidate for the office of gover~or. What occurred at St. Benedict's first college commencement exerCises is best told by a local reporter. The St. Cloud Times carried the fol�
lowing story of the event. When Rt. Rev. Bishop Busch arrived at St. Benedict's ... Thursday evening to attend the Commencement exerc~ses he discove~ed among th~ many automobiles lining the front, one havmg a Non-Partisan streamer. Lindbergh tor Governor. It filled him with indignation that, on such an occasion, anyone should have the assurance and cheek to par~ an auto before the Academy [College] with such a placard. He tore it off and bore it into the institution. When the Bishop rose to give the C~mm~nce�ment address he looked perturbed and said: "The Socialists are m Mmne�apolis and I blush to say that right here i~ Stearns Coun~y there are 2000 members of that party." After an impressIve pause, the BIshop produced a great placard, inscribed, Lindbergh tor Governor, which many ~ecognized as one they had seen earlier in the evening, on an automobile parked before the Academy. With righteous indignation, the Bishop.proceeded .to lash, figuratively speaking, the man who had placarded hIs automobile
with Lindbergh tor Governor. ... He begged the good Sisters of the Academy and all women to throw their whole souls into the prayer: "Lindbergh shall not be Governor." 19
There was a moment of consternation, but quiet was soon resumed and the degrees were conferred with due solemnity.
The College of St. Benedict located as it is in the quiet of a Minne�~ sota village might have been out of touch with the general current of national and international affairs. However, the student body soon
WITH LAMPS BURNING
included young women of various races and from many countries. ~.. A glance at the guest book for one year will show that among the many guests were such personages as the Lord Abbot Wilfred Up-son, a.s.B., of Prinknash, England; Reverend Nicholas Maestrini, the founder of the Catholic Truth Society in Hongkong; and Masie Ward of England. Others were Arnold Lunn, the English debator and speaker; Reverend Xavier Thaninayagam of India, who was on a good relations tour for the government of India; as well as visitors from Belgium, Bavaria, and all parts of the United States.
When the disturbances of two world wars broke in upon the normal life of the college, students and faculty cooperated with the govern�ment's war efforts. During World War I sisters and students did all they possibly could in sewing and knitting for soldiers. In World War II the college was permitted to establish its own Red Cross unit -one of the first college units to be set up in Minnesota. The output of this surgical dressing unit doubled that of any other unit of the county. Faculty and students signed up as blood donors each time the mobile blood donor unit came to St. Cloud. On one occasion seventy sisters from the college and the convent responded. Several of the sisters were so generous that they were enrolled in the gallon club. Some sisters and students joined in first aid classes; others conducted the sale of war bonds and stamps.20
World War II brought to the college some of the same problems that it brought to other colleges. On two of these the administration and the faculty took a conservative stand, unswayed by war hysteria. Should St. Benedict's follow the lead of the colleges which were planning to shorten the four-year term by means of long summer sessions? Should the college stress subjects and courses of a more practical nature? To the first question Mother Rosamond and the faculty answered that a great number of students were dependent on summer employment to help defray the expenses of their college education. Part-time work the year round would enable students in large cities to dispense with summer salaries, but such opportunities were not available in the small village of St. Joseph. To the second question, should St. Benedict's follow the new trend or keep to the traditional Benedictine cultural program of the sciences, literature, and arts and prepare its students not only for earning a salary but for the richness and beauty of living, there could be but one answer.
From its very beginnings the college (like the academy) had not \
EDUCATIONAL MOVEMENTS 1900 TO 1957